Ferulic acid ameliorates neurodegeneration via the Nrf2/ARE signalling pathway: A Review

Abstract

Background: Ferulic acid is a polyphenolic phytoconstituent synthesized from the metabolism of amino acids phenylalanine and tyrosine found in fruits and vegetables. Neurodegenerative disorders have been a thorn in the flesh of neuroscientists owing in part to the increase in the aged population. Several drugs used in the management of these disorders are either ineffective or come with unbearable side effects. We present a review of ferulic acid focusing on leveraging its antioxidant property in an attempt to explain its role in neurodegenerative disorders. Basic procedure: data were obtained by perusing scientific databases including Web of Science and PubMed. It was realised that 18,000 articles were associated with ferulic acid from 1960-to 2022. We narrowed it down using the keywords neuroprotection, and antioxidant of which we had 239 articles. Main findings: results indicated that ferulic acid has wide neuropharmacological applications due to its antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, neuroprotective and antiapoptotic effects among others. The neuroprotective effect of ferulic acid has been studied in many diseases like Alzheimer's, Epilepsy, and Parkinson's disease. Principal conclusion: the neuroprotective potential of FA may be due to its ability to absorb active forms of oxygen and nitrogen and use redox-bearing compounds to regulate genetic expression including, encoding for antioxidant enzymes, the anti-apoptotic protein family Bcl-2, and pro-survival neurotrophic factors like BDNF. Its higher bioavailability and lipophilic nature make it a better drug candidate than other polyphenols for neurological disorders.

Keywords

• Ferulic acid
• Excitotoxicity
• Oxidative stress
• Neuroinflammation
• Apoptosis
• Antioxidant